Osirith's Twilight
by Redwing
Summary: When the battle of Helm's Deep is over, Aragorn seeks retreat to mourn Haldir, but keeps company with Legolas. Aragorn/Legolas, mentions of Aragorn/Haldir slash. *COMPLETED*


OSIRITH'S TWILIGHT  
  
Author: Redwing  
  
Pairings:Aragorn/Legolas, mentions of Aragorn/Haldir.  
  
Rating: R  
  
Summary: Aragorn mourns the death of Haldir, but finds comfort in Legolas on the shores of the Osirith. Slash. Need I say more?  
  
Disclaimer: Regretfully, I do not own any of these characters, only the plot bunnies.  
  
Feedback: For the love of Valor, please! I live for feedback!!  
  
Archives: This is only going on fanfiction.net, anywhere else, please ask my permission first. Email is dbz_joey@hotmail.com.  
  
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As Eomer and the riders of Rohan cut down the remaining orcs and uruk-hai, Aragorn of the Dunedaine slipped past the combatants and into the forest. Heart weary with sorrow, and exhausted both mentally and physically, he did not notice as much as he might otherwise have noticed.  
  
Aragorn stumbled through the forest, making as little noise as he could, for even now, who knew what lurked these woods? As he came to a familiar clearing, a natural one, not one created in destruction by Saruman's servants, he hunted in the fading light for the little deer path that lead the way to a crystalline lake. This lake, named the Osirith by the Elves for its beauty and remoteness, was the one place within distance of Helm's Deep that Aragorn could find peace and solitude, a haven away from all the fighting, the politics, the pain.  
  
As he came into view of the Osirith, its shining waters sent a feeling of unbearable filth, dirtiness, through Aragorn, and reminded him of the fact that his clothes were saturated with the blood of the enemy, and that of his friends.  
  
Haldir.  
  
Throat closing with grief, and eyes stinging with tears that threatened to fall, Aragorn all but ripped off his tunic, chain mail and boots, slinging his weapons onto the pile of clothes, and strode into the lake.  
  
Standing knee-deep in the water, Aragorn watched as the ripples spread from his legs, outward, until they faded, just. ran out. Disappeared. Like so many comrades had, or like the orcs, shoot down the first line and a new wave came to take over, before they too, fell.  
  
He reached down to splash water on his blood-smeared face, and straightened up, water forming in droplets to fall from his face, the water of the lake mixed with the salt of his tears.  
  
Thinking that it wasn't only his face smeared with blood and sweat, Aragorn went deeper, until he could comfortably duck his head under the surface, running his hands through his dark hair. Coming up for breath, Aragorn relaxed somewhat in the lake's embrace.  
  
He looked around his surroundings, his eyes settled on an overhang of rock, just on the eastern shore. As the Osirith was not a large lake, swimming to the eastern shore would not require more energy than Aragorn had. Stretching out languidly, he made his way over.  
  
Aragorn waded onto the sand, his breeches clinging to his skin. Climbing up on to the rock, his neck tingled with the feeling of being watched, but he put it down to overstrung nerves. Sitting down cross-legged on the pint of the rock, Aragorn finally mourned the loss of so many Rohirrim and Elves.  
  
And mourned Haldir.  
  
Haldir had been one of Aragorn's dearest friends, at one point they had even been lovers. Unfortunately, that had never quite worked out, no small part due to the fact that Aragorn's wanderings as the ranger Strider, and Haldir's duty as Lothlorien's Marchwarden left them only few times together, far to brief and in between for either's liking. Haldir had never seemed to mind Aragorn's affections for Arwen, but when his travels brought him to the Elves of Rivendell more often than to the Golden Woods, they had decided to call it quits.  
  
Aragorn smiled ruefully. Although separated as a 'couple', they weren't separated physically, and Aragorn had experienced Lorien's hospitality on many occasions over the past few years, without Arwen's consent, of course.  
  
Gods, he felt guilty every time he thought of Arwen. He knew he did not love her as she loved him, but he couldn't bring himself to hurt her. After all, Elves could die of a broken heart, although there were times when he thought Arwen should die of a broken neck instead.  
  
Mulling over his thoughts and memories, with slow, silent tears coursing down his face to get lost in his beard, he cast a pebble out to the Osirith, watching the ripples.  
  
"This would make a beautiful picture, Aragorn, if it were not for the pain on your face. It spoils the tranquillity."  
  
Aragorn gasped and whirled around, reaching for weapons that were not there.clothes that were not there.  
  
Shit! I'm half naked and unarmed!  
  
A quiet chuckle from behind echoed Aragorn's thoughts.  
  
"You know, it's not wise to leave your weapons on the other side of the lake." A pause, then "and your clothes. It will make for a cold walk back."  
  
Aragorn blushed, but tried to cover it up. "It's not wise to tease a King of Men, Legolas."  
  
Turning around to match the elf's grin with one of his own, Aragorn was quite aware of the sight he made- clad only in wet, skin tight breeches, unarmed, and dripping wet. Legolas, however, did not seem to mind; he actually seemed amused at the man's embarrassment.  
  
Aragorn gestured for Legolas to sit down. As the elf settled himself, Aragorn glanced out over the lake, where a hawk was making lazy circles in the air, before suddenly diving down, to rise again with a fish in its talons.  
  
Legolas too, saw the raptor's descent, and smiled to see the enraptured expression on the man's face.  
  
"I've never seen a hawk take a kill before." Aragorn commented.  
  
"Never?" Legolas was mildly surprised.  
  
"No." he said softly, "It's so.smooth. Without warning."  
  
Legolas' smile widened at the ranger's choice of words. You think it's only the raptors that are smooth and stealthy, do you?  
  
Looking back to the Osirith, Legolas was surprised to see the waters bathed in an orange-gold light. Standing up, he announced pointlessly "The sun is setting."  
  
"Really." Aragorn remarked dryly. "I would never have realised it without your assistance, Master Elf."  
  
Smiling widely, Legolas said "I meant, we should be finding our way back soon, before the twilight fades."  
  
Hopping down off the rock, Legolas bounced out of the ranger's view.  
  
Growling, Aragorn stood, looking for the elf. Making his way off the overhung, he walked round the rock, coming around to the side fronting the lake.  
  
Just I time to see Legolas pull off his own tunic and armour. Surprised, Aragorn stepped back slightly, kicking a pebble.  
  
Legolas turned, tossing his clothes carelessly onto a pile.that contained Aragorn's own belongings. His eyes following the elf's clothes, falling onto his own before Legolas' voice broke the reverie.  
  
"I figured that you would not feel up to the swim back, or the walk, so I picked up your clothes and weapons." He sounded a bit unsure.  
  
"No, thank you, Legolas." Aragorn said quietly. "How long have you been here? In the forest, I mean?"  
  
How long have you been watching me? He thought, heat growing in more private areas of his body.  
  
"I've been with you since the clearing, actually." Legolas said casually.  
  
"Since the clearing?!" Aragorn gasped. "Truly, that long? How did I not notice you presecense?  
  
"You were.not yourself, Aragorn." Legolas' soft reply caught Aragorn off his guard.  
  
"I, I miss Haldir terribly." He blurted out before he could think.  
  
Legolas regarded him, but with out expression, his face blank. "It is not wrong to miss a friend, male or not. And I know what you and Haldir were, Aragorn, and truly, it must be horrible to have had to witness his demise. I, too, miss him, my heart aches for him, and I did not have the closeness that you two shared. In all, I think you are taking his death very well."  
  
He would have continued, if it were not for the silent tears streaking down the man's face.  
  
"Aragorn! I did not mean to upset you!" Legolas cried fervently.  
  
"No.you didn't." Aragorn said thickly.  
  
Legolas ran through every curse he had ever leant in the tongue of Men, Elvish, Dwarvish and Entish, and strode forwards to pull Aragorn into his arms. Aragorn resisted at first, mumbling "I'm fine" before Legolas tightened the embrace, and Aragorn yielded to the offered comfort and pillowed his head on the elf's shoulder, silent sobs racking his body. "It's alright, mellon, Estel." Legolas murmured into the ranger's dark hair. They remained in that position for a while, with Legolas muttering comforts into Aragorn's ear, until Aragorn gathered himself and pulled away, drying his eyes. Legolas looked at him steadily, this mortal man with so much life, until Aragorn looked up from his bare feet and said, more steadily, yet quietly, "I'm fine."  
  
Legolas smiled slightly, "No" he said, "but you will be."  
  
Aragorn smiled slightly, "I will, won't I?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, Estel, you will." Legolas' smile widened, and he jested, "but I doubt anyone else would want you if you were to stay as dirty as you are."  
  
Aragorn grinned, "I would say you're right. Although apparently, this is a good look in Gondor, at the moment." Looking pointedly at Legolas's bare chest, he added, "I might add, Master Elf, that you're non too clean yourself for all your preaching."  
  
Legolas made a rude gesture, and said "Well, I suppose the Osirith could cleanse us, although I'd hate to dirty her waters.with your filth." With this, the elf launched himself into the water, and dived under.  
  
Aragorn, laughing followed, striding into the water. Frowning, he scanned the area for the elf, who had not resurfaced. Slender hands at his ankles gave him barely enough time to get a breath, as he was suddenly yanked under the surface. Gasping his way to the surface, he found himself faced by the elf, not two feet away from him. Growling, he lunged at Legolas and grabbed the elf by the wrists and yanked him, pulling Legolas off his feet, and sent him thudding into Aragorn's chest. Legolas made an undignified noise, then pushed Aragorn squarely in the chest so that the man was sent flying backwards. Legolas apparently did not realise that Aragorn had a hold of him, for he too went flying, and lost his footing yet again. Floundering in the water, Legolas was suddenly hoisted clear of the surface as Aragorn scooped up the elf and hoisted him in the air.  
  
Aragorn laughed, a rich, deep sound, at the indignant expression on the woodland elf's face, with his long blonde hair streaming over the both of them.  
  
Legolas snarled, then smiled. "I should teach you better manners than that, ranger." Snaking his arms around Aragorn's neck, he pulled in closer and kissed the man firmly on the lips. He felt Aragorn's initial surprise, then felt him smile into the kiss, and kiss back. To Legolas, this felt right. To Aragorn, Legolas was the lover that he had missed with Haldir. Not Haldir, no, he could not be replaced, but he did not see Legolas as a replacement.  
  
They remained like that, Legolas being held up by Aragorn, just kissing, both enveloped in a shining halo of gold hair, gold turned a fiery red by the sunset. They broke apart for air, and Aragorn put Legolas down on his feet, and pulled him close again, in a tight embrace.  
  
"You call that a lesson in manners, Legolas?" He whispered into the elf's ear.  
  
"No. I call that good timing, but if it is manners you wish, then I shall deliver." Legolas all but purred into Aragorn's neck, sending shivers racing through the man's body that was not caused by the chill of the water.  
  
Legolas kissed a trail along the man's jawline, and gently bit his neck, feeling Aragorn's body tremble in response. Sliding one hand down to rest on the small of Aragorn's back, the other twined itself in Aragorn's hair, and he pulled Aragorn in for another kiss. Aragorn's hands wandered down to rest on the elf's hips, fingers curved around the small of his back. They continued in this way until the sun was nearly past the horizon, turning everything into a fiery red-gold world, slashes through with beams of pink and orange.  
  
Legolas let go of his hold on Aragorn, and grasped the man's wandering hands. "Follow me" he breathed, and lead the way back to the eastern shore, to the overhang.  
  
Aragorn followed, mesmerized by the water sliding down the elf's bare back, and the hair that fanned out in the water. Allowing himself to be pulled ashore, he followed Legolas to where there clothes lay, and helped to spread them out to form a crude bed.  
  
Pulling the unresisting elf down with him, they lay there, kissing, exploring each other, until the heady pulse of desire took over, and man and elf lay entwined with each other, in the last rays of sunset. As the brief, mystical grey of twilight shone, turning the Osirith to silver, a bonding completed, with the knowledge that neither would ever be alone again. 


End file.
